Efficient

from: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/110867/how_to_be_more_efficient_at_work.html

Ever have one of those days where closing time leaves you wondering how come you didn't get more done? Or has the to-do stack become three times higher than the finished one? Leaving a work day feeling like you've accomplished nothing never feels good. What should be a relaxing evening out of the office can easily turn into a few hours of worry and stress over projects you were unable to complete.

Efficiency in the workplace is important, not only to keep the company running smoothly, but to keep the individual employees feeling productive. In a typical day, a worker can waste precious minutes he or she didn't even realize they were wasting until the day comes to a close. Here are some hints to take control of your own efficiency in the office and give you that sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.

1. Separate your fun email from your work email - Even if you only take a few minutes to read joke emails and forwards that hit your inbox during the day, the time adds up. If you're work environment allows it, turn off your email completely and designate times to go through your inbox. If email is a main form of work communication, create a separate folder for all non-work related correspondence. Use your break or lunch times to go through those. By eliminating needless email reading, you'll save time to do things that pertain to your job.

2.Tackle your "frogs" - There's an old adage that says if you eat a whole frog first thing in the morning, everything else you have to do that day will seem easy. Consider big projects "frogs" and tackle them early in your day. Not only will you be able to spend the rest of the day finishing many smaller projects, but just knowing that you no longer have the big one hanging over your head will give you a lasting feeling of accomplishment and relief for the rest of the day.

3.Save the easy things for "slump time" - It seems like many workers hit an afternoon slump where the thought of a nap is much more welcoming than another dose of paperwork. If you've experienced this, you already know that it's hard to be efficient during this slump. Save smaller and easier things for this time frame. Bigger projects are only made more difficult by the fact that you're mind isn't at its most alert, so catch up on emails, make some less taxing phone calls, and stick to those tasks that don't need a lot of brainpower.

4.Cut back on socializing - Like email, visiting with co-workers can eat up a lot of time that could be used for getting things done. Leave conversation to your lunchtime. If you're the one who tends to want to talk more than others, make a concerted effort to hide yourself away until you get a good load of work done. If others are always wanting to talk to you, invest in a do not disturb sign or simply explain to them that you have a ton of work to do with the promise to chat with them later. If you find that talk of work tends to veer off on non-work related tangents, do your best to keep attention on the task at hand. By setting an example, others may follow your lead, increasing their efficiency in the workplace as well.

5.Forget about multi-tasking - In our technologically advanced society, people often think that being able to do several things at once means they're getting much more accomplished. The truth is, they're actually getting less done. Shifting your attention between a few different things can waste time not only in the changing itself but with the shifting that your mind has to do to switch gears. In fact, a constant multi-tasker may find that they are more exhausted at the end of the day than someone who focuses on one thing at a time. Keep your attention on one project. If you need to break it down, do so, then focus on each little part without moving your attention to anything else. Not only will the job seem less overwhelming, but you'll find that it takes you less time to do it, freeing up some more time to work on other things later in the day.

6.End your day with a to-do list - At the end of a long work day, the typical worker is usually too tired to focus on anything major and too short of time to begin a big project. In the last little bit of your work day, make a to-do list of things to get done tomorrow. Remember to put the tough stuff first on the list and the smaller things for later in the day when you're brain is starting to wear down. Be as detailed as you want, just don't overwhelm yourself. When you start the next workday, you'll feel more organized, more alert, and being able to cross each task off your list is going to give you a sense of accomplishment all in itself.

Though a little break to socialize here and there is fine, if you're spending more time doing other things and getting less accomplished, there's a good chance you need to work on upping your efficiency level. Give a few of these tips a try and enjoy finding out that there really may be enough hours in the day to get everything done.